The long summer ends officially Saturday, the day when the entire city straps on its helmets and starts the season in earnest. It is a day I particularly enjoy, right up there with any of the big local high school basketball tournaments or any of the championship games. There is something special about kickoff Saturday. The weather begins to change, leaves turn color. It’s a rebirth of sorts, especailly this September.

The five boroughs are wide open.

There is no prohibitive favorite. Yes, Curtis and its all-everything defensive lineman Dominique Easley – he of the bushel of BCS offers – must be watched. Ditto for Fort Hamilton, last year’s runner-up. But they are far from givens to be playing deep into November.

Instead, there is a host of other schools that aren’t known for producing city championships that could and others who usually are among the last standing that maynot be postseason-worthy.

The long summer ends officially Saturday, the day when the entire city straps on its helmet and starts the season in earnest. It is a day I particularly enjoy, right up there with any of the big local high school basketball tournaments or any of the championship games.

There is something special about kickoff Saturday. The weather begins to change, leaves turn color. It’s a rebirth of sorts, especially this September.

The five boroughs are wide open.

There is no prohibitive favorite. Yes, Curtis and its all-everything defensive lineman Dominique Easley – he of the bushel of BCS offers – must be watched. Ditto for Fort Hamilton, last year’s runner-up. But they are far from givens to be playing deep into November.

Instead, there is a host of other schools that aren’t known for producing city championships that could contend and others who usually are among the last standing that may not be postseason-worthy.

Expectations are being lowered for typical powerhouses Canarsie, John F. Kennedy and Sheepshead Bay, all playoffs teams a season ago. Meanwhile, lesser-known entities such as Midwood, Erasmus Hall, Boys & Girls, Campus Magnet and DeWitt Clinton have plenty of potential strewn about its roster.

The one constant is Staten Island.

Beyond Curtis, defending champion Port Richmond is expected to be strong despite graduating basically its entire core. Susan Wagner and New Dorp feature arguably the two best quarterbacks in the PSAL in Jordan Rodriguez and Matt Popovic, respectively. Longtime power Tottenville, who hasn’t made it out of the quarterfinals the last four years, promises to employ a potent offense, led by bruising junior running back Gil Mendoza and quarterback John Durbishaw, a Monsignor Farrell transfer.

There is also plenty of individual ability. New York City has been cast as devoid of talent, until just recently. Last year, several kids from the city went Division I, from Sheepshead Bay’s Andre Civil (Rutgers) and South Shore’s Jamal Wilson (Rutgers), to Port Richmond’s Torian Phillips (Syracuse) to Xaverian’s Najee Tyler (Purdue) and Oday Aboushi (Virginia), and John F. Kennedy’s Stephen Obeng Agyapong (Penn State.

This current crop isn’t too shabby.

Easley is clearly at the top of the heap. But his teammate, Avery Wright, is a tenacious tackler who too often goes unnoticed. Boys & Girls junior Wilbert Lee, a wide receiver/running back/kick returner hybrid, is receiving letters from just about everyone. Erasmus Hall sophomore quarterback/safety Wayne Morgan was invited to USC’s Rising Star Camp, a rarity for a New York City player, especially a rising sophomore. Midwood tailback Donovon Edwards has drawn significant interest from Rutgers, Syracuse and Iowa. Lincoln junior wide receiver/defensive end Ishaq Williams holds offers from Syracuse, Maryland and Rutgers. Then there is Syracuse-bound Steven Rene, arguably the best back in the city.